A bus crash occurred Friday in southern Mexico, leaving 16 Venezuelan and Haitian migrants dead as well as 29 others injured, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Authorities in the state of Oaxaca, where the crash happened, revealed that among the deceased were two women, and three children, according to the AP. While the injured passengers were promptly transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, their nationalities were not specified in the initial reports.
Photographs from the Oaxaca state civil protection agency show the bus toppled over along a treacherous curve in the highway which connects Oaxaca and the central state of Puebla, per CNN.
The incident occurs against the backdrop of heightened migration activity along the U.S.-Mexico border. Migrants from various parts of the world attempt to traverse Mexico by boarding buses, trucks or cargo trains; however, the perilous journey often comes with danger. (RELATED: ‘These Numbers Are Staggering’: Chinese Migrants Continue To Surge Across Southern Border )
18 migrants killed in Mexico bus crash
A bus carrying migrants overturned in southern Mexico on Friday, leaving at least 18 passengers dead and 27 injured, authorities said. pic.twitter.com/Zyt3EhyLyo
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) October 6, 2023
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident, which reportedly happened at around 5 a.m. local time, per the AP. Authorities initially stated 18 people died in the crash but revised their count late Friday evening to consider overcounting due to dismemberment.
The bus crash follows another tragic incident in the area: at least 10 Cuban migrants lost their lives Oct. 1, per the AP. Venezuela and Haiti were then also reported to be significant sources of the migrants traveling northward, allegedly driven by the challenges of insecurity and economic turmoil in their home countries.